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Leafpool's Wish/Chapter 6
Chapter description :Brightheart stays with Whitepaw the rest of the night, and even though the den is crowded, Leafpool is glad for the help. Whitepaw is said to keep waking up with pain in her jaw and tail. Leafpool refuses to give her poppy seeds in order to judge how well her wound was healing, leaving Brightheart to lick top of her head each time she wakes in pain until she goes back to sleep. By sunrise, both cats are sleeping, and Leafpool tiptoes out of the medicine cats den to get them some fresh kill for when they wake. :Squirrelflight and Brambleclaw come back from the dawn patrol purring in amusement at something that Rainwhisker had said. Leafpool thinks that Squirrelflight and Brambleclaw's quarrel must have been forgotten and she joins her sister as the patrol makes their way up to Highledge to report to Firestar. :When Leafpool catches up with her sister she asks if she will come to the Moonpool with her because she doesn't want to go alone. Leafpool glances at her belly quickly after she tells Squirrelflight. Squirrelflight then asks if she wants to leave now and Leafpool says that if they can she would like to and that Brightheart could watch Whitepaw for her. Squirrelflight says that she will tell Firestar and Brambleclaw, then vanishes into the leader's den. Leafpool feels the kits in her belly sagging and wonders with dread how she will make it to the Moonpool. She then glances at the sky which is the color of a dove's wing and thinks that at least they wouldn't get wet. :While it doesn't rain, Leafpool thinks that this journey to the Moonpool is hardest ever, as the stones roll away from her paws and all the brambles and thorns catch in her fur. The weight of her belly makes her gasp for breath. Squirrelflight slows her pace to a walk and helps boost Leafpool up stones and urging her on when ever all she wanted to do was sleep. When they reached the Moonpool it is dusk and the stars reflect into it. Squirrelflight gasps as they reach the hollow and says how beautiful it is. Unlike in the old forest apprentices no longer had to visit the Medicine cat's special place, so this is Squirrelflight's first time visiting the Moonpool. Leafpool feels a flush of excitement at her sisters' reaction and agrees with her about how pretty the Moonpool is. She then rubs her paw on the ground and asks Squirrelflight if she can feel the marks on the ground. When Squirrelflight nods Leafpool says that they are the pawprints of ancient cats who came there long ago. Squirrelflight says that she is honored to be at the Moonpool. Leafpool then tells Squirrelflight to follow her because she needs to lie at the water's edge. She leads the way down that spiral path. As they get closer to the water, the stars seem to shine in the water more brightly. When they reach the water, Leafpool sinks down with a grunt of relief. When Squirrelfight asks what happens now, Leafpool says that she will share tongues with StarClan in her sleep, and that she should get some sleep to because its a long walk back. Squirrelfight settles down grunting about the hardness of the ground. Soon her breathing becomes slow and even. Leafpool nudges a little closer to her sister to get warm. :When she opens her eyes she sees a gray cat standing over her. Yellowfang's fur is ruffled as always and she was breathing so hard that it bounced off the walls of the Moonpool. Leafpool asks her for help and states that everything seems dark and that she can't find a way out of it. Yellowfang says she is sorry but that Leafpool should have thought of the consequences of what she was doing. Leafpool says that she didn't think and that she can say she's sorry until the lakes runs dry, but that Yellowfang was the only cat she could think to ask. To Leafpool's surprise, Yellowfang prods Squirrelflight awake. Squirrelflight groans and says that she only just closed her eyes. She then sits up with surprise and asks Yellowfang if she is from StarClan. Yellowfang says that it would seem so and asks Squirrelflight is she knows who she is. Squirrelflight says that she thinks she is Yellowfang. After a moments pause, she says that she would know her anywhere. Yellowfang says that she's flattered. Squirrelflight asks why she is here and if there is any way she can help Leafpool raise her kits. Yellowfang says that she can take them and raise them as her own. Squirrelflight looks horrified and names cats that she would have to lie to. Yellowfang says that she won't force her to do anything, but if a lie is all it takes to save kits' lives, it should be done. Squirrelflight says that it is a huge responsibility. Yellowfang says that should could appreciate it, being a medicine cat. Leafpool stiffens as she realizes Yellowfang isn't going to tell Squirrelflight about her own terrible history. Yellowfang then says that she has watched Squirrelfight and that she would make a good mother. :Yellowfang's eyes drift across the Moonpool, and then she looks at Squirrelflight and tells her she is sorry. Squirrelflight looks confused and asks what she's sorry about. Yellowfang says that she will never be able to have kits. Leafpool gasps and Squirrelfight asks how she knows and if she's sure. Yellowfang fur puffs up and she hisses that Squirrelflight can't doubt StarClan. Yellowfang then says that Brambleclaw will make a good father and a great leader to the kits, and that Brambleclaw should have good, strong kits to follow in his pawsteps. She then says that this is their only chance to have kits. Squirrelflight starts pacing back and forth. Yellowfang says that it must be heard for her to learn this and that things will be clearer when she wakes. Yellowfang then guides Squirrelflight back to the warm patch of stone where she'd been sleeping before. Squirrelfight curls up to sleep obediently. She lets Yellowfang soothe her to sleep by licking her head. :After Squirrelflight is asleep, Leafpool asks Yellowfang if she is telling the truth, because StarClan has never seen the future before. Yellowfang says that the truth is is that Squirrelflight will make a far better mother for the kits than Leafpool will. Leafpool tries to speak but the darkness tugs her down and the last thing she sees is Yellowfang's blurry outline. :She opens her eyes to see Squirrelflight. Squirrelflight asks her if she remembers the dream and she replies yes. When she stands, she feels her legs trembling and she realizes that Squirrelflight will take these kits from her and that they will live in ThunderClan and that she will watch them grow up from the medicine cats' den. Squirrelflight turns to her and tells her that she loves her, but that she cannot lie to the rest of her Clanmates and Brambleclaw. Characters Major *Squirrelflight *Yellowfang }} Minor *Firestar *Brightheart *Whitepaw }} Mentioned *Sandstorm }} Notes and references Category:Chapter subpages Category:Leafpool's Wish Category:Novellas